REVIEW: Your Letter Explores The Consequences of Good Deeds

“No good deed goes unpunished.” When Sori Lee stands up to a bully at the beginning of Your Letter, she cannot be a bystander anymore. She decides then and there that this had to end. While the friend she stood up for was grateful, it immediately seemed like the wrong thing to do. The bullies turn their attention to Sori, making her life so miserable that she transfers schools for a fresh start.

Originally a webtoon, Your Letter by Hyeon A Cho, published by Ize Press, follows Sori Lee to her new school. As she struggles to get acquainted, she finds a mysterious letter under her desk. This letter sets her on a scavenger hunt to see the rest. The letters are quirky in nature and help her learn about the school, her classmates, and all sorts of hidden gems. Through this journey, she meets Dongsoon Park, who seems to know the writer of the letters, Hoyeon Jung. Sori and Dongsoon end up teaming up to find the rest.

On the surface, this story seems to evolve into a mystery, but the question about doing the “right thing” keeps resurfacing for both Sori and Dongsoon. Dongsoon has his own tale about doing the right thing. His story costs him a friendship, his reputation, and a school suspension. Later, when Sori sticks up for Dongsoon in front of his friend, she regrets the decision. It instantly reminds her of the incident at her old school. Even though she knows she made the right decision, why does it feel so wrong?

This exploration of when doing the right thing doesn’t always end in a “happy ending” was sobering. The hero’s journey, so to speak, is that of someone who does the right things, and usually, they are instantly rewarded. It feels good, people are saved, everyone clapped, the end. But what if stepping in and doing “what’s right” makes matters worse? Your Letter showcases how, in Sori’s case, it turned her into the victim at that moment. Even months after the incident, she can’t feel good about what she did. It isn’t until she later hears from the old bullied friend that she gets some closure surrounding the events.

The truth in life is often more aligned with what happened to Sori and Dongsoon. You do the right thing, and there is no praise. Sometimes you don’t immediately feel good because there isn’t an immediate resolution or happy ending. Sometimes the right thing is the harder choice of two hard options, it’s the one that causes less pain but still causes pain. It’s the choice between feeling good in the moment or feeling good at the end of an uncertain future.

Although both Sori and Dongsoon face difficult consequences as a result of “doing the right thing,” Your Letter instills the fact that it is worth it. It is worth leading with integrity and sticking up for those who can’t do it for themselves. It is worth it to take the harder path, the road less traveled, even if only you know the true reason why you chose that path.

Your Letter combines this deep question of righteousness with a wonderful scavenger hunt, with its story bordering on whimsical and realistic. It’s a nice read to get through in one sitting and has a satisfying end, only I wish there was more! These characters really grew on me, and they have so much potential for more life lessons and adventures.

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Your Letter

Creator: Hyeon A Cho
Translation: WEBTOON
Letterer: Abigail Blackman

Publisher: Ize Press

Your Letter is available now here.

Thank you to Netgalley and Ize Press for a reviewer copy.